FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Non-exempt, hourly employee.
WORK DAYS: 180 days (those days when students are scheduled to attend school)
STANDARD HOURS PER DAY: 7 hours per day (not including a 30-minute unpaid duty-free meal break)
WORK YEAR: The Instructional Assistant is scheduled to work all days when students are scheduled to attend school, depending on which calendar the school follows.
SALARY SCHEDULE & BENEFITS: The Instructional Assistant is paid on the "Instructional Assistants" salary schedule for the designated program, level 3, and is eligible for benefits on the "Support Staff" benefits schedule on the first of the month following 60 days of employment. Starting pay $17.14 per hour.
REPORTS TO: The Instructional Assistant is supervised by one or more teachers. Instructional Assistants and teachers report to the building Principal or designee.
SUPERVISES: The Instructional Assistant does not supervise any other employee(s).
SUMMARY OF DUTIES: Under direct supervision, as a Classroom Instructional Assistant in Special Education, you will play a crucial role in providing support to students with diverse learning needs. Your primary responsibility will be to assist the Special Education teacher in creating a positive and inclusive learning environment, fostering the academic and social development of students with disabilities. This role primarily serves in a classroom setting, assisting a Special Education Teacher. Depending on the student's needs, some positions may require physical assistance and flexibility to adapt to changing situations. Work hours align with the school schedule, with occasional school meetings and events. The Instructional Assistant performs related work as directed.
Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor or designee.
1. EDUCATION/TRAINING: High School diploma or GED is required; an Associate's degree or higher, or at least sixty (60) semester hours from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred. (Official transcripts are required to validate education.)
2. EXPERIENCE: Previous vocational training or work experience with school-age children with special needs is preferred.
3. CERTIFICATIONS &/OR LICENSES: Able to meet the requirements of a paraprofessional as outlined in ESSA. Pass the required Expanded Criminal History Check and Expanded Child Protection Index Check. Must have at least an associate's degree or two years of college or passed the ParaPro Assessment. Highlander Park offers the ParaPro Assessment at no cost for all Warren Township prospective employees. Testing is offered Monday through Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. To register for your free assessment, email adulteducation@warren.k12.in.us or call 317-532-3000.
4. OTHER: Ability to perform the essential functions, meet the performance aptitudes, and fulfill the physical/sensory/environmental requirements of the job (with or without reasonable accommodations) is required. Understanding of the developmental, physical and emotional behaviors and challenges of students with moderate-to-profound intellectual, physical, and/or emotional disabilities; with demonstrated stress management skills; ability to fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work, and effectively attend to special needs of school age children. Patience, empathy, and strong communication skills. Ability to follow IEPs and adapt instructional strategies accordingly. Physical ability to assist students with mobility and personal care needs if necessary. Flexibility.
This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and is not an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, or responsibilities associated with it. The school may revise this job description as needed.
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or assess data and/or information using established criteria. Includes exercise of discretion in determining actual or probable consequences, and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.
Human Interaction: Requires the ability to assist students and staff by action or interaction in carrying out specialized therapeutic or physical care plans and procedures.
Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of special needs equipment and devices.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and advisory data and information.
Mathematical Aptitude: Depending on the school grade classroom of assignment, may require the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; may require ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may require ability to utilize principles of fractions and/or interpret graphs.
Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership. Ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.
Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.
Tasks involve the ability to exert very heavy physical effort in very heavy work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of heavy objects and materials (up to 100 pounds) and occasionally heavier items (100 pounds or over).
Most tasks require visual perception and discrimination. Some tasks require oral communications ability. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds.
Tasks are regularly performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as violence when working with children with severe emotional or intellectual disabilities.